Amnesty Committee Bake Sale

On Thursday, the 21st of March, the Amnesty Committee ran its first fundraiser of the year in the form of a bake sale, which was organised to raise money for the Asylum Seekers Resource Centre (ASRC). This day was especially meaningful as it was the International Day for the Elimination for Racial Discrimination.

This day – more commonly known as Harmony Day in Australia – was first celebrated in 1966 to express solidarity with victims of the Sharpeville Massacre in South Africa (1960), where 69 peaceful protesters fighting against the ‘pass’ laws were killed by police forces. These laws meant that Black South Africans would be racially segregated by a form of identification that denied them the rights that White South Africans received. Highlighting this day is important as we seek ways to engage actively in antiracism in our daily lives, whilst reflecting on the unjust treatment of racial minorities.

Our chosen charity, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, an Australian human rights organisation, was founded in 2001 as a food bank for refugees that had arrived in Australia. 23-years later, it is a vocal campaigner for refugee rights in Australia and supports asylum seekers who are unlawfully languishing in offshore detention centres. Currently, there are over 30 programs run by ASRC that holistically support refugees and asylum seekers within Australia.

Did you know that according to the Australian Human Rights Commission, 9 in 10 asylum seekers that have come by boat are ultimately found to be legitimate refugees? Despite this, all asylum seekers coming by boat are sent to offshore detention centres where they are held indefinitely costing the Australian government over 1 billion dollars each year or over 573,000 dollars per person per year, according to the Refugee Council of Australia.

The Amnesty Committee, a 30-member strong committee, decided to hold a bake sale to support this cause and sell delicious treats to the school community! We raised $500 dollars on the day and all proceeds will go to the ASRC. The committee would like to thank the teachers who helped out on the day: Mr De Jong, Ms Nolan, Mr Prasad and Ms Dooley; along with, Amnesty Coordinating teacher, Ms Hurrell, for helping turn our will into a reality!

Divyan Gnanasivam, Year 9.